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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · rule · trunk · drill · straw · net · rush · foot

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. press — a publisher
  5. foot — a measure
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. press — to push
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. net — in sport
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. net — for catching
  18. rule — a law
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rule — government
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com